Soviet Log 68
Between a Vault and a Hole Place... We pick things up with Dante locked inside the Bank Vault, (with the Banker's Keys, but no actual way to open the Safety Deposit Boxes), while Gio, Afredo and Stepho are pounding up the stairs to the second floor, and Tony and Sal are running interference downstairs. Dante figures out that he can at least use the Banker's Keys to pull the boxes out of the Case, so he starts stacking them up neatly while he waits for the guys with the lock opening equipment to arrive. Affie and Gio bust out into the second floor hallway, Gio pauses to lob a smoke grenade behind them into the stairwell. Stepho, in his gas mask, stumbles up behind them through the billowing cloud of smoke. Affie reaches the Door to the Safety Deposit Box Vault and realizes that it is locked, so he starts pounding on it, to no avail; either its too thick for Dante to hear him through, or he is too busy pulling boxes out to notice, (or he is just not paying attention?). Gio pauses to waive off a banker coming out of a door across the hall, (he has little trouble convincing him to 'Shelter in Place', given his gas mask and the smoke pouring out into the hall from the stairwell), then arrives at the vault door and goes to work on the Lock with the Advanced Lock-Opener that Afredo had fabricated for him; he soon gets it open! Affie charges right in while Gio waits for Stepho. Having failed to adequately focus on Training in Running like Gio did, Stepho takes forever to catch up, but eventually he arrives at the Vault as well. While he is waiting for Stephano, Gio notices from his position standing in the doorway that the Vault seems to be creaking and shifting like someone blew up a bomb in the basement of the 16th century building and it now is on the verge of collapsing under the weight of the heavy Vault that was subsequently added, but since the Vault plummeting into the basement doesn't really seem like the worst outcome, he doesn't bother mentioning it to anyone. The team quickly determines that even with no lock-picking skill Afredo and Affie can still Hail Mary it adequately with the advanced lock openers to make it worth while for them to make the effort. Due to some ridiculously good rolling on Afedo's part, and some terrible, terrible rolling by Steph and Gio, Dante and Affie actually end up getting more boxes open then the safe-crackers! A variety of Jewelry, Deeds and a fancy Magnum handgun are discovered, but no sign of the totally not-evil ring. Also, the end of the vault opposite the door collapses through the floor and partway into the offices downstairs. Even though the whole room is now on a crazy angle, the gang keeps breaking open safety deposit boxes as fast as they can. Meanwhile, downstairs, Sal and Tony have ushered most of the civilians out of the Bank, but the Bankers and the security guards are being rallied by an Uber-Banker whose Banker Aura is so strong it expels all Pleebs from surrounding hexes, and they see a massively over leveled Pope-Commando lurking just outside, so they high-tail it into the smoke filled stairwell and head upstairs. When the reach the Vault they find that a secondary locking system has engaged, (was engaged by the Uber-Banker?), probably also locking everyone in the vault inside! While noting that the entire structure appears to be hanging precariously, Tony still decides that Demolitions are the obvious solution to the problem of the secondary locks. He sets a charge, then triggers the blast; it successfully destroys the additional security system! Also, the rest of the vault drops down to the main floor, then smashes through the floor of the main level as well and plummets into the basement. And also smashes through the floor of the basement, into a level of ancient tunnels below even the river tunnels that Gio had explored earlier in the week! Tony Shrugs, Sal sets a rope and they prepare to climb down. Tony only falls a couple of times on the way, pausing on the main floor to admire the berating that the Uber-Banker is laying down on his security staff. Eventually he and Sal make their way down to the chamber at the bottom, where they find the Vault intact, but still locked. Hoping that everyone inside is OK, but unable to get in, they settle for exploring around for another way out. Soon they find an old tunnel that leads off into the darkness. Back inside the vault, everyone had been shaken around something fierce during the descent, but he injuries were minor, so they continue to break into the Safety Deposit Boxes. Amazingly enough, it is not long before the next box yields the totally not-sinister Octopus Ring, inside a dark black onyx jewelry box, (that Dante suspected might somehow shield it from detection?). Everybody fills up their duffel bags with as many unopened boxes as they can carry, then Gio grabs back an advanced opener and picks the lock from the inside. The gang regroups and heads into the tunnel, their headlamps bobbing in the darkness. Tony uses the last demolition charge to blow the passage behind them and they proceed on in the hope that there is an exit somewhere ahead, and that they have not just buried themselves alive. A Popal Lore determines that they must be in an ancient Aqueduct that once served the Pope-Castle, and that they are heading towards the river. Soon the way is blocked however, and they have to backtrack and head down through a chasm that has opened up in the wall of the tunnel. This way leads down into a high vaulted temple with giant statues, that opens up into a huge underground cemetery filled with scores of mausoleums. Gio makes a Natural 20 Keen Senses to detect a breath of air movement from the north-west, so the group heads of in that direction. As the sound of creaking Mausoleum doors is replaced by the moaning and shuffling of the undead horrors pouring forth from within the mausoleums the gang flees down a grand tunnel to the west. It leads down, but that's probably fine? As the group comes to the bottom of a last flight of stairs they are faced by a massive red glowing curtain of energy running across a giant cavern. The gang proceeds ahead cautiously, despite it probably being a terrible idea? As they approach, the energy curtain evaporates, revealing the horrors lurking beyond; a variety of dark priests in the midst of sacrificing and/or abusing a small herd of Altar Boys, all dwarfed by the massive Aspect of Cthulhu lurking behind them. This was not part of the plan? Rewards Mid combat spend as you go prequel rules... 9 Generic Points - Big Finding the Surprise Bonus! SADD 1 Random point and 1 Benny and 1 other Benny for your continuous narrative dominance. Category:Soviet